On blind dogs and deer hunts

Animalistic trends pepper the quotes of the week

Here are some of the notable quotes from around Major League Baseball this week:

"He never stops talking. I don't know how he can hunt."

-Casey Blake, Dodgers third baseman, reacting to the news that teammate Orlando Hudson killed his first buck when he was 9.
(Los Angeles Daily News)

"The blind dog finds a bone every now and then, right?"

-Zach Duke, Pirates pitcher, who hit a double while pitching a four-hit shutout in Monday's 7-0 win over the Houston Astros.
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

"It's been a pretty crazy ride. From not having a job in '07 to making the rotation in '09. It made baseball fun again. You never take anything for granted. [It's] another day in the big leagues, and I realized how cherished those are."

-Shane Loux, Angels pitcher, on rebounding from getting cut by an Independent League team to pitching in the Majors.
(Los Angeles Times)

"That was a piece of trash, man; that was a terrible bat. In the end, it's a very humbling experience to have your name or any part of your equipment in the Hall of Fame. That's special, but I can't reflect on how special that is right now, because it's not making me any more of a player."

-Jody Gerut, San Diego center fielder, jokingly commenting about hitting the first home run at Citi Field and then giving the bat to Brad Horn of the Hall of Fame to go on display in Cooperstown.
(New York Daily News)

"To me, what feels the best right now is that they're giving me the opportunity and that they stuck by me this spring. I just didn't have my rhythm. I was searching, but I know I can play, and I believed in myself. I think my teammates believed, and management did, too."

-Nyjer Morgan, Pirates outfielder, who hit .238 this spring but had a .371 batting average through Wednesday's action.
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

"My role here -- I can pitch in the seventh, eighth or whenever they need me. When the game gets good, that's when they get me ready, and I love that. Everybody wants to be out there when the game is on the line, the most important times. You work your whole life to be in those spots."

"There may be some times I have to use Frankie to get me two outs in the eighth or one out in the eighth and pitch the ninth. If the opportunity presents itself going forward, if I have to get him to get me an out, I won't hesitate."

"I don't want to play anywhere else. I've never wanted to play anywhere else, and I don't think I will."

-Brandon Inge, expressing his desire to stay with Detroit for the rest of his career.
(Detroit Free Press)

"I was totally spent. That doesn't happen that often. My body hasn't really felt that great lately, to tell you the truth. I was pretty gassed. I can't be any happier with the results -- going out there and still feeling a little bit uncomfortable. I haven't been in my normal routine in awhile. It's coming around, and I'm just happy to be 2-0 without feeling like I'm totally dialed in yet."

-Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati pitcher, acknowledging that he's not pitching his best despite being 2-0 after Tuesday's 6-1 victory over Milwaukee.
(MLB.com)

"Going to have the same emotions as Sunday night, and I'm going to try to embrace it, take it in, enjoy it. I'm very fortunate in how the schedule set up, to be able to do this."

-Derek Lowe, Braves pitcher, on starting Opening Day in Philadelphia and the first game of the year at Turner Field.
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"I think that's his job, being a veteran. He's not riding me to get on me, but riding me to make sure things I do wrong stay in my memory. He's such a professional."

-Emmanuel Burriss on Giants teammate Randy Winn teaching him the ropes of life in the Majors.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

"I've seen that since Game 1. It's just unbelievable how much sharper guys are up here."

"He was a guy you could go to no matter what the situation. He'd never judge. He always had kind words to say. I got traded [in 2007] in the offseason, and he was the first one that called me. He treated you with respect and never acted like he was above anybody else."

-Geoff Geary, Houston relief pitcher and former Phillie, talking about Philadelphia broadcaster Harry Kalas, who died on Monday before the start of the Phillies-Nationals game in Washington.
(Houston Chronicle)

"I stood by him, and he said he felt great. It looked like the ball was coming out real good. So, that's good."

-Milwaukee manager Ken Macha on the improvement of closer Trevor Hoffman's oblique strain after watching him throw from a distance of 120 feet.
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

"There's no concern. The MRIs are all good. I mean, if there's no structural damage, there's nothing to worry about."

-Brandon Webb, Arizona ace, talking about making his stay on the disabled list a short one. Webb landed on the DL with tightness in his right shoulder.
(East Valley Tribune)

"He died in the place he loved being -- the ballpark. I'll miss his smile and the way he used to call me 'Big fella.' Harry was the Phillies. We played this game with heavy hearts. We knew it would be tough, but we felt like we needed to go out and do it for Harry."

-Ryan Howard, on the Phillies' 9-8 win over the Nationals after the passing of longtime voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas.
(Philadelphia Inquirer)